All things Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer.
A/N First of all I owe a ton of praise to my new beta, Georgia Dawgette. She is amazing! She aided me immensely with this chapter. I'm hoping to be able to get chapters out a bit more frequently now that I have her assistance. As always thanks to everyone who reviewed or added this story to their favorites and/or alerts. Also they give me the push to write more, faster! Hope you like.....
BPOV
I was dreaming about being held in a set of strong, cold arms against an equally frosty marble chest; the only thing separating our skin from touching was a fluffy comforter wrapped loosely around my body. As the last vestiges of sleep began to leave me I slowly realized that the comforting body cradling mine wasn't part of a dream.
The whispered "Morning beautiful." combined with Jasper's own unique scent solidified the realization that it was not a dream. I was lying in Jasper's arms, in his bed, wrapped in his blankets........naked. A blush heated my face as I slowly opened my eyes, to find Jasper's perfectly pale face staring down at me. Damn, the man definitely took my breath away.
"G'morning Jazz." I mumbled, turning my face into the softness of the pillow under my head. How unfair that he could resemble a god first thing in the morning while here I lay with bed head and morning breath.
"What? No kiss?" Jasper feigned hurt.
"Morning breath." I mumbled almost unintelligible into the pillow.
Jasper chucked and I felt his weight lift from the bed. "Alright darlin', go have your human time. Then, if you'd like something to eat maybe you could come downstairs and teach me how to use my kitchen.
It was my turn to snort a laugh into the pillow. Turning my face to the side to peer up at Jasper standing so casually beside the bed wearing only a pair of grey sweats slung low on his hips my teasing retort died on my lips. I'd never seen him appear so human, happy and relaxed; like any man after waking up to the woman he loves. Until this moment I'd always seen what he was first, the vampire before the man. It was at that point I'd always tell myself what he was didn't matter. This was the first time I'd ever looked at him and just seen a man.
"What?" Jasper quirked an eyebrow at me.
"Don't move, stay right there." I ordered as I stumbled out of the enormous bed, wrapped only in a sheet. With a grace I hadn't realized I possessed I dashed to the ensuite bathroom, snatching my bag as I went.
Taking a steadying breath I calmed myself. He'd looked good enough to eat. His bare chest, that revealing V in between his hips bones. I was positive he'd be able to feel the lust radiating off of me through the door. Quickly brushing my teeth I decided to ignore the tangled nest on curls on my head. If I had my way I'd just be messing it up again anyway. Noticing the flannel button up Jasper had worn the previous night thrown atop a basket in the corner I impulsively decided to swap it for the cumbersome sheet currently encasing my nudity. Grasping the collar I raised it to my nose, inhaling his scent. Jasper's natural fragrance by far surpassed any cologne ever created. I'm not certain if the change in attire was for Jasper's benefit or my own. I was almost positive he'd love the intimacy of me wearing his shirt but at the same time it catered to my almost ridiculous sense of modesty. I felt somewhat less naked than I had wrapped in merely a sheet.
Opening the door I was pleasantly surprised to see him standing stock still in the same spot I'd left him. The only difference was the intense expression currently gracing his features. Gone were all traces of questioning or amusement. It was abundantly clear that he'd sensed my dominant emotions. Gingerly padding towards him my desire for him elevating I watched his eyes roam up and down my body, widening as he took in my attire. His normally golden hued eyes had a darkness in them, almost as if he was thirsty but somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that wasn't it. If it was my blood that he wanted his razor teeth would already be at my throat.
With more confidence than I usually exhibited I stood before him, raising my hand to rest against his bare chest. Doubting it would be effective I gave a push, meant to make him sprawl backwards across the bed. I was more than a little flabbergasted when Jasper allowed his body to tumble backwards, albeit gracefully across the pillowy surface. Although he remained silent, his eyes were still a blend of gold and black, and there was a slight grin on his face, I'm sure in reaction to the shock I was feeling.
Jasper settled himself against the pillows, his hands resting behind his head, watching me with hooded eyes. Crawling up beside his prone form on my hands and knees I took my time, my gaze never leaving his. Straddling his torso, one leg on either side of his waist I didn't miss his sharp intake of breath as he realized I was bare beneath the shirt that was now riding up my thighs.
"Bella......." He groaned, his hands suddenly running up my legs, from knee to upper thigh.
Steeling myself to resist the temptation that was his hands, I attempted to still them with my own. "Nuh uh uh." I scolded in a singsong voice "Last night was your turn, now it's mine."
Removing his hands, Jasper again placed them behind his head. His actions essentially giving me carte blanches over his body. He didn't speak, only watched me with so much intensity that my confidence slipped a little, after all; this wasn't exactly familiar territory for me. Up until the other night when Jasper had insisted that he had ever intention of making love to me this was something I'd assumed wasn't even possible between a human and a vampire. Now that I knew better but I was over thinking things as usual. Just feel Bella, just feel I chanted inside my head.
Tentatively I slid my hands slowly up his chiselled abdomen, allowing my fingers to trace the individual ridges of muscles. Further up, over his well defined Pecs I feathered my fingers over a few of the many crescent shaped scars littered across his chest. I didn't know a lot about Jasper's past or rather his beginning other than it had been violent. These scars told a story, one I would be more than willing to listen to when he was ready to tell me.
Using his wide shoulders for leverage I pulled my body forwards so that we were face to face, my body pressed intimately to his. Through my explorations Jasper laid stock still, allowing me my curiosity.
"Is this okay?"
"Darlin' it's more than okay." Jasper murmured, a healthy dose of lust and anticipation projecting from him to me.
Urged on by the knowledge of what he was feeling I only allowed myself one more moment's hesitation before lowering my mouth to his. Finally eliciting a response from the statue beneath me when his lips parted beneath mine. It always amazed me how soft his lips felt on mine, considering the marble like quality of the rest of his body. Our mouths melded together, his cool tongue caressing my lips; seeking entrance. Time ceased to hold any meaning as I trailed my lips from his mouth to his jaw. With a symphony of open mouthed kisses, licks and nibbles I worked my way to his ear; sucking his earlobe into my mouth and biting down gently. A soft moan emitted from Jasper as his hands finally lifted off of the mattress to glide up my bare back and tangle in my already dishevelled curls.
I became lost in the sensations as I trailed my hands back down over the contours of his body, following close behind with my lips and tongue. Taking his left nipple between my lips, grazing it with my teeth while rolling the other between my thumb and forefinger I was rewarded with a rumbling growl and Jasper raising his hips off the bed. Lower and lower, running my cheek over his rock hard abdomen until I was kneeling between his thighs, the evidence of his arousal creating quite the impressive bulge in his sweats.
I had an overwhelming desire, a need almost to bring him to the same heights of pleasure he'd brought me to last night. There was no nervousness and all of the self doubts that often plagued me had vanished. Jasper's arousal projected and combined with my own, not to mention the symphony of growls and moans being emitted from Jasper gave me all the incentive required to hook my thumbs into the waistband of his sweats and tug. Raising his hips was the only aid he gave me in removing the one item of clothing keeping me from my goal.
"My god." I croaked. There were no words that could aptly describe him.
Jasper's throaty chuckle was cut off to be replaced by a guttural groan as I wrapped my fingers around him, unable to completely encase him in my hand.
JPOV
If I thought Bella's warm little hand wrapping around me before she tentatively began stroking my length was the closest I'd ever get to heaven, nothing prepared me for the overwhelming feelings of her hot little puffs of breath as she lowered her mouth towards me.
"Bella..........you d-don't...."
"Shhhh...." She cut off my protests "My turn remember?"
"Woman, you're trying to kill me." I groaned
The sensations she was creating as she pumped up and down with her hand, using her thumb to tease the tip were mind-blowing. She was inflicting the very best kind of torture on me. The urge to make her mine had never been stronger, not even the previous night when I'd worshiped her body with my own hands and mouth. I was relieved to find I still had the sense to remove my hands from her body to grip the headboard behind me, my need to ensure her safety overriding the desire to feel her soft skin beneath my fingertips.
An aura of wonder and curiosity radiated off Bella, but I wasn't left for long to wonder what she could be curious about before her pink tongue darted out, sweeping across the head of my erection; tasting me. Hearing the "mmmm" hummed from Bella's lips caused all presence of mind to escape me. I could only feel. Without anymore preamble her mouth closed over me, her hand still gripping the base. My growls and the pounding of Bella's heart the only sounds my addled mind could register.
The deafening crack of wood splintering jarred me from my bliss filled haze. For a moment I thought I'd lost the tenuous hold I had over my strength. That was until I was struck with the realization that the headboard was still quite whole underneath my iron grasp.
It was then that I heard it.......
Bella's strangled squeal.....
The muttered "Oh fuck." that sounded a lot like Peter coming from the direction of my now annihilated bedroom door.
"Jesus Christ Peter, what the hell?" I roared, sitting up and pulling Bella behind me on pure instinct.
The rational part of my mind knew that Peter would never harm her, however I also knew that my brother was every bit a typical male. A vampire male at that, equipped with a memory which had unlimited capacity. The last thing I wanted was Bella's semi-nude form being stored and used as fodder for Peter's often overactive imagination.
"Before you rip my head off, could you do me a favour and at least put some fucking pants on first?" Peter's raucous laughter only fuelling my rage.
The expression on my face must have been murderous as it didn't take more than a moment for Peter to silence his laughter and begin backing out of the room.
"Peter......" I growled.
"Jazz, I'm sorry man. All I could hear was you growling like an animal and Bella's heart beating like a jackhammer." He began to explain. "Fuck I thought you'd finally snapped and decided to eat her! Little did I know it was little Bella here doing the eating." Peter again failed at holding the burst of laughter back.
I could sense a genuine concern from Peter. There was something he was leaving out of his half-assed explanation. At times it seems Peter knows me better than I know myself. Which means he knows full well the control I now maintain over my bloodlust. There was more to this and I had every intention of finding out what.
The mortification was billowing off of Bella in waves. I could feel the heat flood her body that was pressed against my back, her face buried in the space next to my shoulder. This only served to heighten my protective instincts forcing me to momentarily put aside my curiosity at what had possessed Peter to assume I had 'finally snapped'.
"Five seconds Peter." My tone was flat.
Peter raised an eyebrow in question.
"That's how much of a head start I'll......" A sudden blur behind Peter distracted me for an instant.
"Now now boys, fight nice." Char's lilting voice rang through the room from where she stood at her husband's side. "Hi Bella." She added waving at the blushing girl still huddled behind me.
The ridiculousness of the situation helped to stomp out some of the burning rage festering inside me. "Char, wondered how long it would take you to join the party" My sarcasm hung heavy in the air. I could only begin to wonder what was going through Bella's head. From what I could sense from her she was experiencing a myriad of emotions ranging from embarrassment to annoyance to....no, she couldn't possibly be amused by this. If I hadn't felt it, I'd have thought I was hallucinating when Bella began to giggle.
"You find this funny darlin'?" I peered at her over my shoulder.
Bella pondered my question. "I'd say absurd more aptly describes this Jazz. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand the utter lack of expectation of privacy one has when around vampires but this is pushing it just a little."
This was not the reaction I'd been expecting from her. Tears, crawling back into that armour she tended to have erected around her.....sure, finding the humour in this situation.......never.
"Now if you don't mind...." Bella continued as she reached around in front of me to place a pillow over my quite apparent nudity, her dismissal of the unwelcome visitors in my room obvious.
"Of course, we'll wait for you two downstairs." Char nodded agreeably, a burst of pride emanating from her in Bella's direction as she pulled Peter out of the room. My fear that the two women wouldn't get along all but evaporated.
Pulling Bella from behind me to settle on my lap I held her face between both of my hands, pressing my lips firmly but briefly against hers. "You are unbelievable my Bella." I chuckled.
BPOV
As Jasper and I dressed a recurring thought kept echoing through my mind that I must have some seriously bad karma. Finally.....FINALLY my advances weren't rebuffed by the object of my affection, only to be not only interrupted, but thoroughly busted in the act by his brother. At the rate things were going I was going to be holding on tight to my virginity forever. Although I was embarrassed, mortified even and exceedingly disappointed I wasn't angry. In his own warped way Peter was only trying to protect me.
Jasper on the other hand kept throwing glares at his now splintered bedroom door, growling to quietly for my human ears but I'm sure at a volume meant for Peter's enhanced hearing.
"Jazz?" It almost felt like speaking to him right now would be the equivalent of poking a bear with a stick.
"Yes darlin?" His tone completely changed when he returned his attention to me, away from the vampire sitting in his living room.
"He meant well." I pointed out, not quite believing I was sticking up for Peter.
"I know." He admitted grudgingly. "How is it you're not upset though?"
"Of all the things I've had to be upset or angry over the last little while, this is barely a blip on the radar." I explained to him.
"You're amazing Bella." Jasper grasped my hand as he led me towards the stairs.
"Its a gift." I shrugged, smiling warmly at his laughter.
Jasper led me to the oversized leather sofa, pulling me close to his side as we sat. Char lounged comfortably in the co-ordinating chair while Peter stood against the wall, a wary expression replacing the almost natural smirk I'd seen the night in the club.
"So dipshit, are you going to fix my fucking door?" Jasper eyed Peter with annoyance.
"Everything is already ordered Jazz, Peter will be picking all the supplies up this afternoon.........Right Peter?" Char's expression held exasperation, but otherwise she seemed completely unphased by what had occurred earlier. Then again the impression I'd gotten from Peter was this wasn't something completely out of the norm for him.
"Yes dear." Peter acquiesced, obviously knowing when to pick his battles where his wife was concerned.
"Bella...." Char's attention turned towards me. "You'll have to forgive my husband's poor manners. I was truly hoping to meet you under less awkward circumstances."
Physically, Peter's wife was a girl looking not much older than me. She was stunning of course, straight waist length hair the colour of gingerbread, petite figure similar to my own. Her skin appeared somewhat darker than other's I'd seen of their kind. I attributed it to the fact that she appeared to be of Latino descent. Her eyes, along with Peter's would take some getting used to. Without the benefit of contacts they were almost a deep burgundy, a tell tale sigh of their diet. Char was dressed casually yet stylishly in a pair of dark fitted jeans and a purple long sleeved sweater. She looked so young, however Char's manner hinted at a much older soul; which was so obviously the case.
"I'm good with awkward, believe me." I assured her. My stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly.
"Darlin, I keep forgetting I need to feed you." Jasper rose from the sofa to head to the kitchen with me in tow.
"Thought you already......" Peter began, that cocky smirk back at home on his handsome face.
"Peter!" Both Char and Jasper roared.
"What?" He actually attempted to feign innocence.
Rolling her eyes at her husband Char intercepted me from Jasper. "Bella I won't even pretend that I'm capable of making anything edible, but I can show you around the kitchen." Looking pointedly at Jasper she had only one request "Please attempt not to remove any body parts when you hand him his ass Jazz. You know how he gets when anything has to be reattached."
"No promises." He looked almost menacing standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed across his wide chest; biceps bulging under the sleeves of his shirt.
Damn but he looked smokin' hot when he was like this. The flutter in my belly that only he could provoke coming back to life. Reluctantly I followed Char into the kitchen, my hunger momentarily forgotten when I caught Jasper's wink in my direction coupled with a knowing grin.
JPOV
"Peter what the fuck was all that shit about ?" I turned on my brother who was still leaning against the wall as soon as Bella was out of earshot.
"I told you Jazz.......growling, racing human heartbeat."
"Bullshit, what aren't you saying? Empath, remember Peter." He was being less than truthful and I could sense it.
"Ok, ok.....it was the growling and the heartbeat but there was more. It's like something has you wound up like a snake ready to strike, and I didn't want Bella to be in the way when you did." Peter answered more truthfully. "You and I both know what that would do to you." He was being serious now.
"I wasn't going to hurt her Peter, in fact I was in complete control."
"I didn't know that. It's not like this shit I know is an exact science. I just knew that there was something, and it's still there. Something has you rattled." This wasn't the first time I'd ended up on the short end of the gaps in Peter's gift.
"Alright Yoda, maybe you've sort of got a point." I conceded.
"Never doubted that I did." Peter's almost perpetual cockiness had returned full force.
Bella's admissions last night about the remaining members of James' coven seeking her out combined with her revelation about the wolves had thrown me. I'd been plagued with guilt when we'd left her, not truly believing we were saving her from anything by abandoning her. It was all only made worse knowing I had been the catalyst for our leaving. Hearing my worst fears had come to fruition, that we hadn't saved her from anything but instead had nearly been the cause of her demise had multiplied my guilt three-fold. Nevermind that she'd then had to rely upon our natural enemy for protection. The only thing that could begin to rival my own self loathing was the almost all encompassing rage I harboured for Edward.
Having not gone into any great detail I could only wait for Bella to fill in all the blanks. Regardless of what light she could shed on everything I don't think I would ever be able to understand how she could possibly feel the way I knew her to feel for me considering my family's role in the things that had been forced upon her.
"Events took place in Bella's life after we left Forks...." I attempted to explain to Peter the vibe he was getting from me. "I'd rather wait for Bella though before we discuss it. There are more than a few holes in the bits and pieces she told me last night."
As much as I loathed making Bella relive the things that so nearly destroyed her, this wasn't something that I could just let go.
"Bella." Peter bellowed. "Get in here so your boyfriend will tell me what's got his panties in a bunch."
I could always leave it to Peter to broach a subject with such tact and decorum.